1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to apparatus for the bringing into proximity and connecting of two members, such as chambers. Particularly, it relates to a lift reel and clamping device for coupling or connecting a quench stack to a monomer ring during the melt spinning of synthetic polymer fibers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a typical melt spinning process, one or more filaments extrudes from one or more spinnerettes and passes into a quenching chamber for cooling. The equipment utilized in the basic process may vary, depending on the polymer to be melt spun. Thus, in the melt spinning of filaments from polyamide, a monomer ring is interposed between the spinnerette and quench stack. The function of the monomer ring is to efficiently and continuously remove by aspiration volatilized monomer from the vicinity of the spinnerette without adversely affecting yarn quality or the spinning process. An example of such apparatus is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 3,257,487 to Dulin, Jr., hereby incorporated by reference. The quench stack is coupled or connected to the monomer ring and sealed with a sealing member, e.g., a silicone salve, interposed between their respective peripheries to form an airtight seal during operation. In order to provide for periodic inspection and maintenance of the spinnerette and associated monomer ring, the quench stack is designed to drop vertically when uncoupled from the monomer ring. Exemplary of such a quench stack is the apparatus of U.S. Pat. No. 3,619,452 to Harrison, hereby incorporated by reference. Unfortunately, when the quench stack is uncoupled from the monomer ring, the sealing member cools. After the quench stack and monomer ring are recoupled, the member will become plastic or soft due to process temperatures. In order to provide the most efficient seal possible, therefore, it is desirable to have some way of coupling the quench stack and monomer ring which will draw them closer together when the member therebetween has softened sufficiently to permit the same. Such a coupling device, of course, would have utility in conjunction with differently designed spinning equipment, the main function of such a device being the ability to draw up over a variable distance. For instance, the quench stack could be coupled directly to a spinning chamber with no monomer ring, or the quench stack could be hingeably attached on one side and drop away from the monomer ring or spinning chamber.
In addition to the aforementioned process problem, a further problem has been encountered in the use of silicone salve as the sealing member. The upper rim of the quench stack ordinarily has a groove in which the salve is placed. When the monomer ring and quench stack are disconnected and the quench stack drops away to permit access to the spinnerette and monomer ring, some of the salve clings to the lower rim of the monomer ring. This salve, due to the high process temperatures of as much as 260.degree. C., is so hot that it can, and frequently does, drip off the monomer ring to burn the operator who is inspecting the spinnerette and/or monomer ring.
A further problem encountered in the utilization of a quench stack as first described, i.e., one which drops vertically, is the prevalence of back injuries in production operators. Such a quench stack, which weighs up to 57 pounds, must be manually lifted, vertically, in order to bring it close enough to the monomer ring to permit coupling. In fact, it is often necessary for two or more operators to coordinate their efforts in lifting the quench stack for coupling, resulting in lost work time. It is, therefore, desirable to provide a mechanical assist in the lifting of the quench stack to remove the strain heretofore placed on the operators and to permit the ready coupling of the members by a single operator.
Also, due to the weight of the quench stack, it has heretofore been necessary to use four clamps to connect the quench stack and monomer ring. It is, therefore, desirable to develop a clamp which is so strong that its use in conjunction with the desired mechanical assist would readily replace the four prior art clamps to thereby reduce the number of physical acts, i.e., clamps to be connected, required by the operator.
Such devices would naturally have great utility outside of the melt spinning process. There are prior art devices which accommodate variations in dimensional distances between the two halves of the coupling device, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 3,127,205 to Griffith et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,049,301 to Schenk. However, none of these devices meets the strength and variation requirements of the as-described application. And none of these devices also incorporates and assists in bringing the to-be-coupled members into proximity for coupling. These problems, unresolved by the prior art, are effectively eliminated by the present invention.